Hello, imonks, and welcome to the weekend. Ready to ramble?
You may have noticed that Lent began this week. For you Baptists, here’s an explanatory article. So then, Wednesday was Ash Wednesday (Baptists, see here), and … [Continue reading...]

Lent is a time for lamenting. The Book of Psalms teaches us that lamenting is a primary form of prayer in an unjust and unloving world. Through lamenting prayer, we cry out to God in the pain of our suffering and weakness, … [Continue reading...]

Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
• John 12:24, NRSV
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Lent is not about getting better.
Lent is about … [Continue reading...]

I don't normally put two posts up on one day anymore, but today is Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), the day before the Lenten season begins, and I would like us to talk about something. Let me put my thoughts in a brief paragraph for you … [Continue reading...]

UPDATE: It occurred to me that I ought to clarify something. Below I call myself "unordained." That is in terms of my denomination only. I am ordained, but not by the ELCA, and they do not recognize the form of my ordination as … [Continue reading...]

UPDATE: I just noticed that a couple of these videos are playlists, so you get some bonus music today! Some of the individual songs will take you to YouTube via a link. Hope you enjoy this fine music today.
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Today I'd like … [Continue reading...]

Note from CM: In 2015 we will mark five years since the death of Michael Spencer, the Internet Monk. Today, we continue our “Sundays with Michael” series with an excerpt from a post that was originally published in February 2008. … [Continue reading...]

Happy Valentines Day, imonks. Grab your significant other, and hop in the Rambler.
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, there is this report: People who use emojis have sex more often. A lot more often, actually.
In … [Continue reading...]

Better, but still not in the ballpark.
Good for Justin Taylor at the Gospel Coalition for many parts of the article, "Biblical Reasons to Doubt the Creation Days Were 24-Hour Periods." Questioning the so-called "literalism" of … [Continue reading...]